Carton-blank separator



Aug. 2, 1927. 37,550

. J. H. KRAPF CARTON BLANK SEPARATOR Filed May 20. 1926 v 2 Sheats-Sheet 1 Aug. 2, 1927. 1,637,560

J. H. KRAPF CARTON BLANK SEPARATOR Wllillllllu 1 29 I Wnmmw I a: "F

I Patented Au 2, 1927.v

1 tion is shown in the accompanying drawings,

LUNITEDVSTATES "JACOB H. KRAPF, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARTON-BLANK SEPARATOR.

Application filed May 20,

,The main objects of this invention are to "provide improved means for I separating cards, carton blanks and the like from a stack wherebythey may be fed to a machine by which theyare operated uponin'dividually; to provide an improved separator of this kind whereby the cards may be removed one at a time from the bottom of the stack;

and to provide means of this kind whichis particularly adapted for use in separating cardboard blanks from a stack so as to'permit themto be fed rapidly one at a time'to mechanism which folds the blanks ,into cartons. v I e p AI illustrative embodiment of tins invenwherein 1 .F gurel isa side elevation of a separator 'toiwhich this invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is an end elevationofQthe same,

taken from the left of Figll, butshowing slide being shown in dotted outline;

the supporting wings inpositi'on for sup} porting the separatedblankl y p ,Fig. 3 is'a vertical section takenfon the line ofFig. 1, and showing the lowermost blank of a stack inits separated position, theretracted position of the p'usher ofthe Fig. .4 is. a fragmentary top plan device.

Aseparator embodying this invention may beapplied to various types o'f machines but,

inthe specific construction herein shown, it is adapted for use 111 a machine wherein: a stack of carton blanksare fed, one at a tlme,

, to amechanism, which forms the blankinto v invention a carton. Inasmuch as the present invention ranged to support one end of the card which is to be se arated. Improved means 18 also I provided or supporting the. blank .iin {its separated position. To 7 dropf fron the separator, the support ng noeansis movable out of supporting position by the operating mechanism which controls the ejector slide. r 1 In thespecific construction herein fshown,

v the'carton blank eseparator co nprises ajframe permit the blank to.

1926., Serial No. 110,485.'

5 p 1,637,560 PATENTOFFICE.

1 having an upright magazine 2 for supports ing a stack of blanks 3 from whichthe lowermost card is separated by an improved ejector ear-ranged to shift the blank horizontallyonto supporting means 5. The ejector 1 and supportingmeans 5 are intermittently actuated by a continuously driven operating mechanism 6.

Tliefraine 1 includes upright standards? mounted on a base 8 and connected to horizontal braces 9 and 10. The upper parts of the standards 7 form the magazine 2. Mounted on two of the standards at the front side of the magazine, are brackets 11 'whlch support vertical guide bars 12. The

guide bars 12 terminate above the plane of the lowermost blank so as to permit the blank to be ejected through the forward end of the frame. The braces 9 project rearwardly beyond the rear standards 7 to provide supports for ahorizontal plate 13..

Mounted on the braces 9 and plate l3 'are e inwardly projecting lugs 14 and 15 respec-- tively arranged to support the stack of cards in the magazine. Rigidly mounted on the lower face of the plate 13, isa centrally located block 16 having a pair of substan-' tially parallel gnideways 17 for supporting thereciprocating slides of the ejector.

In the form shown, the improved ejector l comprises a pair of pusher slides 18 sup? ported'in' the guideways 17. The forward ends'of the slides 18 are recessed to provide bearing surfaces19 which are arrangedsub stantially in the plane of the lugs 15 so as to support the rearv endof thelowermost card at two points adjacent its centralportlOIl. Thebearmg surfaces 19 are mcllned downwardly and forwardlyso as to permit the lowermost card to slightly adjacent its rear extremity. At the rear ends of the bearing surfaces 19, are undercut shoulders 20, which'engage the extremity of the lowermost blank for shiftingthe blank edgewise when the slides are moved forwardly. The

shoulders 20' are of less thickness than the blanks, so that they never engage more than .lVhen the slides 18 p U one. blank at a time. areretracted to the initial position, shown in dottedfoutline in Fig. 3, the shoulders 2 of the lowermost blank torest upon the bearing surfaces 19. The rear ends of the pusher slides 18 project beyond the guide block 16 and are pivotally connected to a pair of are substantially "flnshwith the inner edge I of the plate 13 so as to permit the rear end links 21 carried at the upper end of a rocker arm 22 which is provided at its lower end with a shaft pivoted in'the frame 1. The

rocker arm 22 is normally urgedrearwardly to retract the ejector slides 18 by means of a spring 24, which connected at one endto the arm 22 and at its other end to a bracket 25 iiXedon the frame. The arm 22 is-positively urgedforwardly against the action of thespring 2ibythe operating mechanism 6, hereinafter more fully described, which moves the slides '18 forwardly so as to shift "the lowermost blank edge'wise from the With the supporting lugs Li and the central stack. hen the slides 18 reach the limit of their forward movement, the cutaway portions 26 of the separated blank are alined and forward parts of the blank are thereby supporting means 0 wings 27yand a pair of arms 28 fixed on a standards permitted to drop onto the supporting means 5.

In the construction shown, the improved comprises a pair of from the sc pzirator, the wings 27 and arms 28*are swung downwardly to thepositions shown in Fig. l by means of springs The lower ends of the springs 22 are connected to the base 8 and the upper ends'thereof are connectednto inwardh .iro'ectin ins33 mounted on the shafts '29. The wingsf2'? and arms 28 are positively urged upwardly into supporting position by a pairofrocker arms 34 pivoted to therear standards '7 by pins'35.j The" forward ends ofthe arms 34 are provided with links36 connected to outwardly projecting pins 37 mounted on the shafts 29 so that, when the forward ends of the arms 34. ,are moved downwardly, the shafts 29 are rocked to move the wings 2'? and arms 28 upwardly into horizontal position. Journaled on the rear ends of the rocker arm's 34,are rollers 38 which engage the operating mechanism 6;

In the formshown, the operating mechanism 6 comprises a horizontal shaft 39, jour 5 naled in brackets 40 fixed on the'frame 1,

and having a pulley ll for connection to suitable driving means, not shown, whereby the shaft 39'is rotated continuously. Fixed a, on the shaft 39, is a centrally located eccen-:

trio cam-42arranged to engage the rocker M11122 and a pair of end came 43 located in position to engage thegrollers 38 of the rocker lowermost blank.

"Iclaim: V

and arms 28.

In the form shown, the carton blanks 3 are slit longitudinally to provide a pair of side wings Hand a central flap l5. In order toprevent the wings l l of the lowermost blank from being caught by the flap 450i the adjacent blank, a pair of inclined fingers 46 are arranged to bend downwardly the wings t lof the separated blank as it is being projected edgewise through the front of the frame. The fingers 46 are rigidly secured to the front standards 7 and project downwardly across the normal plane of the In operation, a stack of carton blanks is pl ced in the magazine 2, while the pusher slides 18 are retracted, so that the lowermost blank 3 is supportedby the lugs l4 'and '15 and by the bearing surfaces 19 of the slides. The slides 18 are then moved forwardly under the action of the eccentric 42 so as to pushthe lowermost blanks edgewise ontovthe supporting wings 2'Z and arms 28, which thereupon swing downwardly to permit the separated blank to drop to a conveyer or other suitable. mechanism, not shown The slides 18 then move rearwardlyunder the action of the spring 24, so as to engage the rear end of the nextblank.

Although but one specific embodiment, of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood thatnumerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as defined by he'following claims;

1.;A deviceof prising-a frame having a magazine for sup porting a stack of blanks, means for sup porting the lowermost blank, an ejector arranged to shift the lowermost blank edge wise for separating it from thestack, and a plurality of fingers pivotally mounted on the sides of said frame for supporting said blank in itsseparated position, said fingers being movable out of supporting position to permit the blank to drop vertically' from such position." 7 V V L H 2. A'device of the class desoribed compriss ing a"frame havingamagazine forsupportin'gia stack of blanks, an'ejector" having a 7 bearing part located below said magazine in positionto supportone end of the lowermost blank, said ejector bein'gj movable" to shift said blank edgewise for separating it fromthe stack, a pair of shafts journaled 'i'll IOU the class 'described comd on opposite sides of said frame, and fingers on said shaftsfor supporting said blank "in 3; A device of the class described comprising a frame having a magazine for supporting a stack ofblanks, means for supporting the lowermost blank, an ejector arranged to. shift the lowermost blank edgewise for separating it from the stack, other means for supporting said blank in its separated position, and mechanism for moving said other [means out of supporting position to permit the blank to drop when said ejector reaches the limit of'its forward movement. I

4. A device of the class described comprising an upright magazine having means at its lower end for supporting a stack of cards, a reciprocating pusher'slide having a bearing part located below said magazine in position to support one end of thelowermost blank, a shoulder on said slide arranged to engage the extremity of the lowermost blank for shiftingisaid blank edgewise to separate it from the stack and to disengage it from said supporting means,,other means v, disposed below the plane of said first mentioned means for supporting the card in its separated position, and mechanism for moving said other means out of supporting position to permit the card to drop when said pusher slide reaches the limit of its forward movement.

5, A carton blank separator comprising afra me having an upright magazine for supporting a stack of blanks, an ejector arranged to move the lowermost blank edgewise through an opening in one side of said magazine, and a pair of fingers on said frame projecting across said opening in the path of the'low-ermost blank for bending its forward end away from the remainder of the stack.

Signed at Chicago this 15th day of May,

, JACOB H. KRAPF. 

